From Left: James Kairu, Deputy Director, Quality Assurance Ministry of Education, David Ngugi, Secretary General, KSSSA, Mary Murungi, In-charge of Educational Institutions and Peter Wesonga, Marketing Manager, Brookside during the launch of the sixth edition of  secondary schools games sponsorship at a Nairobi Hotel, yesterday.  [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

By Erick Ochieng’

Brookside Dairy and Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) have renewed their sponsorship deal for the Term One National Championships.

The pact that was unveiled yesterday in Nairobi would see Brookside sponsor high schools games for the next four years to the tune of staggering Sh36 million.

The sponsorship package is Sh12 million more than the previous four-year deal that ended last year.

Brookside Marketing Manager Peter Wesonga explained the sponsorship would mainly focus on infrastructure development.

“Our renewed sponsorship would focus on infrastructure development where we shall kit all participating teams and improve the standards of necessary facilities,” said Wasonga.

The first edition of games to benefit from the sponsorship is Term One National Championships starting at Mang’u High and Thika Municipal Stadium on Monday.

Wesonga said: “The money will be used to cater for the games logistics and kits. We will use part of it to upgrade infrastructures at Mangu. Our vision now is to help identify and nurture talents from the games.”

Wesonga added that Brookside has plans to extend the sponsorship to the county level as well as to the university games in the near future.

Apart from the local sponsorship Brookside has also been sponsoring the East African Secondary School Games for a number of times including the 2011 edition that were held in Mbarara, Uganda.

According to KSSSA secretary general, David Ngugi, major changes have been made to this year’s Games that commence on Monday.

Firstly, the games zoning have been altered to fit into the new devolved system of government.

The contests, which kicked off from the county level, will be staged regionally unlike the traditional inter-provinces when it comes to the nationals.

Nairobi province has been transformed to Nairobi Metropolitan region, Nyanza into Lake region, Rift Valley to Nakuru region, Coast to Mombasa region, Central to Aberdares, Western to Nzoia, North Eastern to Garissa and Eastern Province to Northern region.

Secondly, KSSSA has moved decathlon, hockey and rugby 7s from term one to the term two ‘A’ games.

“Athletics have been brought forward to give the athletics fraternity easy preparation a head of the World Athletics Championships in Moscow later this year,” said Ngugi.

Ngugi said hockey will, however, be moved back to term one games as per request of the sponsors.

James Kairu, Director Quality Assurance and Standards Ministry of Education said: “I wish to thank the management of Brookside for such tremendous support to the youth of this country.”

“This effort serves to show that you have the welfare of the Kenyan child at heart. By extension it indicates that you care about the future of this country,” he added.